What happened to Raleigh?

[Chugnuts]

I thought I'd throw this out there as I'm sure there are those on here that have a proper insight into what has happened to the once great bike manufacturer :?:

I was brought up on Raleigh as my granddad and uncle used to run and own a successful Raleigh dealership. I feel fortunate to have been able to ride the many great bikes that Raleigh turned out like the Chopper, the Grifter and Burner's

They kinda missed the boat with the MTB thing for a while and from what I can make out were well behind the curve for quite some time - and still are - lagging behind; I personally don't think they ever made up on the lost ground. The bikes that they're turning out now are junk to what they once used to make... but why? What happened to them, why have they gone the way they have? In my eyes, they've let slip a once excellent brand into a mire of mediocrity...

Thoughts?

.

 

[tintin40]

Agree with you. Raleigh USA made it big in the right direction.
'take over' is were it all went wrong?

 

[Chugnuts]

I stubbled across a post from a Guardian piece written by a guy called oozaveared http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/05/raleigh-sale-not-end-of-road that sums things up nicely...

I am a keen cyclist and frankly Raleigh haven't kept up. They gave up. They kept trying to provide "ordinary" bicycles to the masses. Well the Chinese can do that much more cheaply. And they did. There are British companies making excellent bikes that people want to buy BECAUSE they are excellent, nice to ride and up to date.

The choice as with all retail at the moment is to be either Chic or Cheap. Chic is difficult. it requires good design and technological advance. Cheap is easier. Raleigh chose to be cheap and they were out cheaped.

Raleigh could have survivved but refused to be specialist, high end, or interesting. They continued to live in a world where people bought good sturdy bikes to get to work on and nothing else. They were boring and backward and as cycling has now had a renaissance with ever increasing numbers taking it uop for health, environmental, economic and pure fun reasons Raleigh cycles just don't appeal.

If you want chaep, there's cheaper. If you want style there's more stylish, if you want fun, there's far more exciting, if you want performance Raleigh don't even live in the same postcode.

In essence they are still trying to sell the equivalent of Ford Anglias.

The lesson from history is a stark one. Adopt, adapt, improve or be superseded.

.

 

[02gf74]

^^^ that could be said of a lot of British companies, from Rover, BSA to Saracen... ( British Eagle too?)

 

[markwashington]

Interesting post this, as up until 2000 Raleigh were making some seriously good quality bikes, they had a really good race team and the bikes were winning tests and rave reviews from most of the mags. The 1999 RSP line up is a case in point. The RSP 150 (£500) was rated really highly by all the bike mags, and the range stayed impressive up to the DHO (imo one of the best looking DH bikes ever) and the RSP 600 which had a handmade and hand painted in Nottingham titanium frame and the best components of the time. I think one of the main problems was that Raleigh lived as virtually two separate companies for ages, they made top of the line race winning bikes, and they also made bikes that cost £100 in Argos. Inevitably the lower priced bikes are going to drag the credibility of the name down. If Ferrari also made £7K city cars the brand would quickly lose credibility.

I don't know what's going on with Raleigh now but I guess the moral of the story is that you can't be all thing to all people.

 

[NeilM]

This is what is currently going on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17851190

I expect there is a lot of internal work going on within the parent company to decide how to position Raleigh and what bikes to 'badge' as Raleigh bikes.

One thing is for sure, there is very little chance of the bikes being made in Nottingham, although I guess they could be assembled there.

I'm sorry to say I never considered a Raliegh when I was buying bikes in the 90's and only recently realised just how good the RSP bikes were / are.

20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing

 

[02gf74]

...... If Ferrari also made £7K city cars the brand would quickly lose credibility.

ahem:

apparently not that good.

and on a similar note, anyone remember the Lamborghini £ 199 fikes sold in Tesco(?) catalogue??? whcih was inifnitely worse.

 

[dirtydozen]

try ordering parts for warrenty off them, they have no clue as to whats on their bikes as they only see em in boxes.
I have seen some bikes without the raleigh badge but have stickers on the seattube stating they were designed by them.

Have to admit i never wanted a raleigh BITD, cant say they were a choice of anyone i knew lol

 

[tintin40]

and on a similar note, anyone remember the Lamborghini £ 199 fikes sold in Tesco(?) catalogue??? whcih was inifnitely worse.

That was sold by the son of the founder not the present company. Audi look him to court to stop using his name!! Hence why the badge is not the same as the car company badge.

But your correct. that is bad as bad can be